Is the UK’s golden era of free museum entry coming to an end?

The National Gallery announced this week it would be making significant cuts to cover a £8.2m deficit. Photograph: cowardlion/Shutterstock

For a quarter of a century, visitors to the UK’s national museums and galleries have enjoyed universal free entry to see permanent collections.

The policy, introduced by the New Labour government in 2001, has been widely credited with improving access to culture and significantly increasing footfall to some of the country’s best-known attractions.